Talk to anyone in your neighborhood, from the owner of the corner tiendita to your favorite taquero, and you are sure to run into someone who comes from Puebla, Mexico. Los Angeles is known for having one of the largest populations of Poblanos outside of Mexico. So it is no surprise that L.A. is also home to an incredible cemita scene.
Named after the type of bread they are made from—a bulbous, egg-enriched sesame bun—the cemita is like the cousin of a torta, except slightly more minimalistic and regional in nature.
Each cemita spot is different, but will usually offer a choice of protein, including favorites like breaded and fried chicken or beef cutlets (milanesa), braised meat in chile (barbacoa), good 'ol ham, a scoop of headcheese, and other filling options. It is always topped with fanned avocado, onion, tomato, chipotle paste, quesillo or queso Oaxaca, queso panela or queso fresco, jalapeños in escabeche, and the ingredient that many say makes a cemita a cemita: pápalo, a leafy green that is highly fragrant, with a potent and polarizing flavor that can best be described as a cross between tarragon, cilantro, fennel, and fresh stevia leaf.
Did we mention the size of your average cemita? Most have meat and toppings bursting from their seams and can make fully shareable meals.
Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up the eight best cemitas Poblanas in Los Angeles, right as the lunch bell rings.
Cemitas Tepeaca ~ East Los Angeles
Cemitas Tepeaca is a family-owned business run by Abraham Ruiz and his family. The food truck has four locations throughout the East Los Angeles area and has served its cemitas since 2005. Ruiz’s parents come from Tepeaca, Mexico, a region in Puebla, where they learned the craft of assembling a cemita. These consist of your choice of protein (chicken, beef, carnitas, cueritos (pickled pig skin), and traditional toppings like pápalo, a bed of quesillo, raw white onion, and avocado. They top it all with their house-made salsa de chipotle with a slight sweetness. For Ruiz, what gives a cemita its distinct flavor is the pápalo. Although he would never judge a customer for ordering one without it, he said: “It has to have pápalo in order to be a cemita.” If you are feeling bold, Cemitas Tepaca is also home to the "cemita challenge," where an 8-pound cemita dubbed “La Mera Mera” is rolled out on a platter for you to enjoy.
Location: 5335 E Beverly Boulevard. East Los Angeles, CA 90022.
Open: Monday through Sunday from 9:30 A.M. to 11 P.M.
Cemitas Poblanas Los Chivos ~ East Los Angeles
You cannot write a cemita list around East Los Angeles without including the iconic, TikTok-viral Cemitas Poblanas Los Chivos. If you are a local in the area, they need no introduction. Their red tent, long lines, and hyped-up personality keep the people coming to their stand daily. If the cemitas are the show's star, the owner, Alonso Ulloa, is the host, perpetually making every customer feel special while piling his cemitas with all the avocado, quesillo, and chipotle your heart desires. People come from all over to visit Los Chivos, who is located between an elementary school and a freeway. Their most popular cemitas are milanesa de res (breaded beef cutlet), chicken milanesa (breaded chicken cutlet), carne árabe (al pastor-like pork), carnitas, cueritos, and last but not least, cabeza de puerco (pig head). Aside from their cemitas, they sell tacos, quesadillas, and mulitas. And don't worry about the long lines, not only are the cemitas worth the wait, but the staff here is fast and the cemitas are as stuffed as they can be.
Location: Eastern Ave & Gleason St. East Los Angeles, CA 90063.
Open: 7 days a week. Monday through Friday from 2:30 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 P.M. to 11:30 P.M.
Cemitas El Rey Rico y Sabroso ~ DTLA
“Con una cemita la vida es mejor.” (With a Cemita Life is Better).
That's the motto at Cemitas El Rey Rico y Sabroso. Like many cemita specialists, the business offers the usual proteins, but also puts their own spin on torta cubanas and cemitas alike in a monster of a cemita that includes fried protein, ham, queso de puerco (head cheese), quesillo, avocado, onion, chipotle, and papas con chorizo. If you visit them and find room for more food, try their tacos de chapulines (grasshoppers), made with handmade tortillas.
Location: 762 E Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011.
Open: Monday through Sunday from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Cemitas La China Poblana ~ East Los Angeles
Considered the cemita O.G. of Los Angeles, this family-owned business started near Salazar Park in 1991 and opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2005. Cemitas La China Poblana is where you go for that classic, nostalgic taste. They serve up 16 options, ranging from the classic milanesas to barbacoa, cecina, pata en vinagre (marinated cow tendon), and more.
In a 2018 L.A. Times piece, L.A. TACO editor Javier Cabral explained what makes their cemitas different from others: “An in-house baker bakes its cemita buns every morning, and a full-bodied quesillo string cheese is made exclusively for them by a local cheesemaker.”
Location: 3568 Whittier Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA.
Open: Monday through Thursday, 10:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M.
Cemitas Poblanas Cinco de Mayo ~ East Los Angeles
This family-owned food truck is in front of a CVS/Pharmacy, and it's easy to spot; look for the red truck displaying characters from El Chavo del Ocho, and you've arrived. The cemitas here are huge, and much like the rest on this list, they never skimp out on fillings. If you have room for more than one of their cemnitas, they also sell tacos de birria, tacos, and more. They have a special for Mother's Day weekend: buy two cemitas and get one free. All you have to do is mention that you saw the offer on their social media.
Location: 933 S Atlantic Boulevard. East Los Angeles, CA 90022.
Open: Check days on Instagram.
Cemitas Don Adrian ~ Van Nuys
According to Cemitas Don Adrian, when the sandwiches first originated in Puebla, they contained no meat protein like today. It was just the cemita bread, avocado, fresh quesillo, pápalo, onions, and pickled jalapeños or chipotle. It's this same traditional cemita that Don Adrain serves. They also offer vegan protein options and a cemita with fish! At Don Adrain’s, they believe the cemita can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast, offering their La Mañanera cemita with eggs, ham, and all the classic cemita toppings. They offer the milanesa de res and chicken (thinly breaded chicken and meat) for lunch and dinner. And if you think their regular cemitas are big, they also offer "La Grande," a cemita weighing in at twice the size of a regular one.
Two Locations: 14902 Victory Boulevard. Van Nuys, California.
6522 Van Nuys Boulevard. Van Nuys, CA 91401.
Open: Check Instagram for updated days and times.
Barbacoa Los Güeros ~ La Mirada
We head to southeast Los Angeles for some incredible cemitas estilo Texcoco. Here at Barbacoa Los Güeros, you will find their famous slow-cooked barbacoa. We have to say that Los Gueros offers some of the more unique styles of cemitas, from cemitas filled with their popular barbacoa to cemita árabe, which pays an ode to the taco árabe that originated in Puebla by Middle Eastern immigrants. Yes, you can find the traditional meat- or chicken-based cemita, but we highly suggest their barbacoa and árabe ones. And prepare to have them con todo, with everything, because, like the owners like to say, "una cemita sin papalo no es cemita." Meaning your cemita will come with papalo, the green leaves that some opt out of, but that are traditional to the structure of a good cemita.
Location: 13914 Imperial Hwy. La Mirada, California 90638.
Open: Seven days a week, starting at 10 A.M. during the week and 8 A.M. on weekends.
Cemitas Poblanas Los Chaparritos ~ Compton
Luis and Cristina started Cemitas Poblanas Los Chaparritos with a shared love for the authentic flavors of Puebla and a dream of creating something special for their community. And they have done just that. With more than 23,000 online and their giant cemitas, they have truly gained the support of the community one cemita at a time.
Location: 13000 Avalon Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90061.
Open: Monday through Sunday from 10 A.M. to 11 P.M.
